О дивный новый мир

           ThehangarswerestaffedbyasingleBokanovskyGroup,andthemenweretwins,identicallysmall,blackandhideous.Bernardgavehisordersinthesharp,ratherarrogantandevenoffensivetoneofonewhodoesnotfeelhimselftoosecureinhissuperiority.Tohavedealingswithmembersofthelowercasteswasalways,forBernard,amostdistressingexperience.Forwhateverthecause(andthecurrentgossipaboutthealcoholinhisblood-surrogatemayverylikely–foraccidentswillhappen–havebeentrue)Bernard’sphysiqueashardlybetterthanthatoftheaverageGamma.HestoodeightcentimetresshortofthestandardAlphaheightandwasslenderinproportion.Contactwithmembersofhelowercastesalwaysremindedhimpainfullyofthisphysicalinadequacy."IamI,andwishIwasn’t";hisself-consciousnesswasacuteandstressing.Eachtimehefoundhimselflookingonthelevel,insteadofdownward,intoaDelta’sface,hefelthumiliated.Wouldthecreaturetreathimwiththerespectduetohiscaste?Thequestionhauntedhim.Notwithoutreason.ForGammas,DeltasandEpsilonshadbeentosomeextentconditionedtoassociatecorporealmasswithsocialsuperiority.Indeed,afainthypnopædicprejudiceinfavourofsizewasuniversal.Hencethelaughterofthewomentowhomhemadeproposals,thepracticaljokingofhisequalsamongthemen.Themockerymadehimfeelanoutsider;andfeelinganoutsiderhebehavedlikeone,whichincreasedtheprejudiceagainsthimandintensifiedthecontemptandhostilityarousedbyhisphysicaldefects.